This thread and the disclosures of Alpinists has been very intriguing. I
think we all have sterotypes of what kinds of warped individuals could
possibly be involved in cars like this. For example, CPAs are generally
considered to be pillars of the community, conservative, conscientious,
sensible. Yet there are at least three of us in this little Sunbeam Alpine
newsgroup. Absolute heresy!
My name is "Ole" Olson. I do have a real first name, but try to avoid usage
of it (yeah - it's one of those). I live in San Diego, California and am a
self-employed CPA. I have a really great wife, Joan, who puts up with me
most of the time. My three kids are grown and gone from the nest (whew!).
I'm at that awkward age where I can withdraw from my IRA without penalty but
Social Security won't talk to me yet, aka Old Fa*t. I received my B.Sc. in
Accounting from San Diego State, where on the last day of final exams, my
mail included congratulatory cards and an invitation from the Selective
Service Administration. After duty in Yuma AZ and Seoul Korea, I returned to
San Diego. Upon gaining civilian employment (public accounting jobs are
scarce in July!), my thoughts turned to sports cars. As it would have to be
my only means of transportation, I was hooked on the creature comforts of the
Alpine.
In February 1961, I took delivery of my first brand new car - series 1
B9010736 LRX, moonstone with red interior. In April, I was talked into
running the Don Diego Rally and got hooked big time. Most weekends of the
summer were spent rallying in SoCal. The "Berlin Crisis" resulted in my
recall to active duty at Fort Lewis, Washington. I took the Alpine and
managed to locate a few rallies in the Pacific Northwest - taking a first in
the Portland Trailblazer and a second in the Walla Walla Jack Rabbit Ramble.
Returning to real life, my success in the championship series then conducted
by the Southern California and San Diego Sports Car Club Councils was
measured in two thirds, several fourths, and a number of lesser placings. In
December 1964, the drive unit for my dual electric odometers packed up and
stripped the speedometer gears in the transmission. Upon dropping the car
off at the dealer for repair, the sales manager asked if I'd mind testing a
new demo they had just received and introduced me to a Tiger. Three days
later, I brought it back and asked how soon I could get one. The first
retail delivery of a Tiger in San Diego County on Jan 22, 1965 was mine -
B9470527 LRX FE, BRG black interior. I sold it 18 months later - 'nuff said
about that.
Ten years hence, my son came home from high school one day and said, "You
know all about Sunbeams, don't you?" He told me somebody at school was
desperately trying to sell an Alpine to bail his rolled Datsun 4x4 out of the
body shop. I went to look at it. Moonstone, red interior; he needed $325,
starter was shot but it fired up easily on a short roll, lousy repair job on
right front fender, sold. Series 2 B9104912 LRX (OLE ALP) has been a loyal
and trusted member of the family ever since. It took two attempts to get the
fender properly fixed, it has a series 4 block with s2 everything else and a
series 5 all-synchro tranny. A hardtop has been added and Dunlop bolt-on
chrome wire wheels. Rallying isn't as intense as it once was, but we have
won the Ballbearing Breaker Challenge Rally twice and had some respectable
placings.
In 1985, my 50th birthday present to myself was a '54 Alpine A3014397 LRX.
The way I explained it to Joan was that I bought a set of wire wheels - she
loves wire wheels - for her '69 Riviera and the guy threw the Alpine in as
part of the deal. After hauling "The Hulk" home, it was a whole lot rougher
than it had seemed. The DPO had pushed the boot bulkhead back, cut out sheet
metal, and converted it to a 2+2 as well as stuffing in a Corvette 283 which
had come apart at extremely high RPM. The spares included remnants of broken
axles from before the engine exploded. I spent a couple of years trying to
find a proper Sunbeam complete engine and transmission for it without luck.
Actually, I doubt that would have worked because of the butchering that had
gone on with the Chevy installation. Anyhow, it now sports a Volvo overhead
cam engine with Borg Warner automatic. It has been back on the road since
October 1993 Those of you with copies of the 1997 TE/AE calendar can see
OLDE ALP on the November page.
Further Sunbeam shenanigans - I bought an early Tiger B9470053 LRX FE in July
1994. It was a bad a** machine with a 289 Cobra, radical wheel flares, 15"
wheels carrying big meat, and 4 wheel disk brakes. The suspension was - uh -
stiff. Joan rode in it twice and refused to get in it again. It went to a
good home in Washington in June 1995.
My new project is a 1953 Alpine A3013162 LRX, acquired in May 1996. It is a
"proper" Alpine in that it has the original engine (numbers match} and is
still a true two seater. The transmission has been modified to a "Castle"
(floor) shift which was a factory authorized switch. It's pieces-parts are
in dozens of boxes in two cities, so it may be a while before they find each
other.
I'm currently treasurer and newsletter editor for the Sunbeam Owners Group of
San Diego, a job I should be doing right now instead of spilling my guts in
this forum.
"Ole"
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